1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for ironing laundry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of embodiments are already known for arranging the layer of textile in resiliently yielding manner on the periphery of the roller. Ribbons with helical springs are used for this purpose, which helical springs are arranged on a strip-like carrier in a fully automatic operation, which carrier is wound as a spiral round the roller. A fabric or textile cloth, usually is flannel cloth, is then normally wound in two or more layers over the protruding springs. The yielding of the covering serves to hold the laundry firmly against the inner wall of the bed, so that a good ironing progression is ensured. In another embodiment the helical springs are replaced by resilient plates which are also wound helically round the roller on a carrier. The drawback of these known systems is that assembly is quite complicated because of the helical form, wherein the resilient tongues in the above stated second embodiment do not form a precisely closed cylindrical support surface for the textile layer. In addition, the springs can easily be damaged in the known systems when the covering is replaced.
To overcome some of the mentioned problems U.S. Pat. No. 1,432,940 proposed an element with a carrier and a plurality of spring members secured to the carrier with free ends which are overlapping in one direction. U.S. Pat. No. 298,780 proposes a similar element using circular curved leaf springs secured at their butts to a belt wrapped upon the roller. Both systems have the drawback that they do not form a precisely closed cylinder surface.
A third American patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,717 describes a system which uses as well a plurality of elastic elements comprising each a first portion connected to a strip-like support, and a second portion which is rendered coplanar with the adjacent second portion by means of a recess in which the edge of the adjacent second portion extends. In that way the flatness of the support surface is improved. However, the surface still shows grooves where the edge extends in the recess.
Another spring module is known from Great Britain Patent No. 1,518,433. This module has a carrier which is provided with interlocking means for connecting the module with an adjacent module. This system simplifies the assembling of the modules, but again has the drawback of a non-continuous support surface when fitted on a roller.